Protective shield for pipe hanger assembly



United States Patent Inventors "milar'amng; deceased, 101F131 Nashville, Tenn. by Freida J. Breeding, executrix, Nashvi1l e Tenn.

Appl. No. 716,637

Filed Mar. 27, 1968 V Patented Sept. 29, 1970 Assignee Breeding Insulation Company, Inc.,

Nashville, Tenn.,

a corporation 01' Tennessee PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR PIPE HANGER ASSEMBLY 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs. V vs. Cl 138/107, 248/62 Int. 0.. I F161 3/00 Field of Search 138/ 106,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,788,939 1/1931 138/106 1,860,203 5/1932 l38/149X 2,013,888 9/1935 138/113 2,047,778 7/1936 138/149X 3,122,346 2/1964 138/107X 3,233,699 2/1966 138/149X 3,244,388 5/1966 Cot'fman 138/107X 3,415,474 10/1968 Kindorf 248/62 I Primary Examiner- Laverne D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-Edwarcl .l. Earls Attorney-Robert G. McMorrow ABSTRACT: In an overhead pipe assembly wherein the pipe is surrounded by tubular insulation of material subject to being cut, a section of preformed insulation of sectional form has a vapor barrier and a plate, the plate being affixed to one section of the preformed insulation, and tape wrappings I secure the assembly in place.

Patented Sept. 29, 1970 13,530,899

fnvmvroa. D/LLAPD BREED/N6,

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PROTECTIVE SHIELD. F OR PIPE HANGER ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to overhead pipe installations wherein the pipe is provided with a covering insulation, and to a means to prevent prevent damage to the insulation by the action of the hanging straps used to support the pipe. 2. Statement of the Prior Art It has heretofore been proposed to provide sectional insula- 7 tion, and to separately supply a saddle, or the like, formed of-a rigid material, to resist the action of the pipehanger onithe insulation. Examples of such prior proposals are found in the following U.S. patents:

Patent No. Issue Date Patentee:

Seller 3,122,:346 .February 25, 1964. Litz 3, 185, 758 May 25, 1965 Cofiman 3, 244, 388 April 5, 1966.

SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION nected to the-first, lower half, and the vapor barrier being ex- 1 tendible over the upper half when so connected. Two tapes are supplied for extention around the barrier and the halves when connected, and the plate is spaced inwardly of the ends of the halves so that the tapes do not contact the plate. 7

Advantages of this construction over those previously proposed reside chiefly in the ease and speed of installation made possible by the present arrangement, and the fact that the plate is not movable. With components as-herein specified, installation by an unassisted mechanic is possible, whereas pre-existing types of saddles required two men for adequate mounting. The invention thereby reduces the overall cost of such installations while improving the finished quality of the work. 7

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a considreration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing.

BRIEF DESCRlPTlON OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a partially disassembled perspective view showing a shield assembly as herein proposed;

F IG. 2 is a further disassembled view, partially broken away;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view; and

F IG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view.

DESCRlPTlON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With more detailed reference to the drawing, a typical environment of use is shown in FIG. 3. There, a pipe 10, usually serving as a fluid conduit of some type, is mounted in overhead position suspended from asupport 12. The apparatus of this invention is directed to the provision of a partially pre-assembled means for preventing damage to insulation at those points whereas the pipe and its insulation are suspended from the overhead support 12. The pipe is covered, throughout its extent, by elongated sections of insulation 14, often formed offoam, plastic, or the like, and applied in halves '16, -l8 adhesively secured about the pipe 10 by a suitable mastic substance.

The insulation sections ld'are interrupted for a given length at those locations selected for suspension of the pipe from the overhead support. At such interrupted locations, the sections terminate at section ends 20.

The invention apparatus is generally identified in the drawing by reference'character 22. The apparatus 22 includes a sectionof insulation of a length substantially equal to the given length of interruption of the sections 14. Each section includes a first, lower insulation half 24 of said length between its ends 26, 28, and'having spaced inner faces 30, 32 separated by a longitudinal inner-groove 34. The groove 34 is dimensioned to fit about substantially one-half of the pipe 10. As v shown in FIG: 2, the insulation half 24 is formed of a foam plastic, or-likeinsulating material. Thehalf 24 has a rounded outer surface 36 which corresponds with the adjacent surface of the half 16 of the section 14.

Permanently affixed during manufacture'to the outer surface 36 of the lower half 24 is an enlarged, substantially rectangular sheet 38 of vapor barrier material. The sheet 38 is of two-ply construction, including an inner ply 40 of metallic foil, and an outer ply 42 offibrous material. The sheet is of a length between its end edges 44,46 substantially equal to the length-of the first half 24. As shown in TFlG. l, the sheet is secured, as by use of a suitable mastic, to the half 24 in a manner such that its extended end flaps 48,50 project uplocation spaced between the ends thereof whereby open areas .arc'provided on either side of the plate. The plate also has side edges 58,60 which are laterally aligned "with the inner faces 30, 32 when theplate isinplace. i

The apparatus 24 further includes a second, upper insulation half 62 identical to the first half 24 and having an outer surface 66, pipe receiving groove '68, and interiorfaces 70,72. The interior faces 70,72 mate with and may optionally beadhesively secured to, the inner faces 30.32 respectively, of the first half 24.

Connection of the assembly in place in a pipe systeminvolves the use of a hanger strap 74 which is secured by a suita 'blcfastener 76 on the overhead support 12. A

.lnstallation of the apparatus involves the placement of the lower half '24 against the pipe 10 in the groove 34 atone of the aforesaid interrupted locations, wherein its ends 26 and 28 abut against adjacent sections 14 of the pipe insulation. The upper half 62 is then positioned, and the flaps 48 and 50 of the vapor barrier are positioned thereover. The faces of the sections may be precoated with an adhesive if required. The' inward spacing of the ends of the plate permits the machanic to apply wrappings 78,80 of tape FIG. 3) where this is deemed desirable. I g

The plate is so positioned as to underlie the strap 74, thereby..preventing any contact between the strap and the relatively soft insulation material orthe vapor barrier.

What is claimed:

1. In a substantially horizontally extending conduit pipe installation which includes a tubular insulation about said conduit pipe, a, hanger assembly comprising:

first and second insulation halves formed of soft foam plastic and being of a given length from end-to-end said first and second insulation halves having spaced interfaces with a longitudinal semicircular groove therebetween shaped to f t about substantially one-half of the conduit pipe and having an outer surface; said tubular insulation being interrupted at at least one location, the space of interruption being substantially equal to the length of said halves and the ends of said halves abutting said insulation;

vapor barrier sheet of substantially rectangular formsecured to the outer surface of the lower insulation half, the sheet being of two-ply construction and having an inner foil layer and an outer fibrous layer; the sheet being coextensive in length with the first insulation half and covering said outer surface of said first insulation half, said sheet further providing, when connected to said first insulation half, upwardly extending flaps, said flaps being bendable to a position to cover the outer surface of both of said first and second insulation halves when said 

